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Riding at higher speeds for longer time on a naked bike such as KTM Duke (or any other naked bike) can get quite tiring because of wind blast.
Sure you can still ride for 5 or even 10 hours at 120 kmh, but it's how you will feel after those 5-10 hours...
Change the bike to a fully faired one with good size windscreen, you say?
Well, what if I want to keep my naked bike AND do a lot of touring?
A very good answer to that is a MRA RNB windscreen.
MRA is a German company, the world's leading manufacturer of quality windscreens.
"RNB" stands for Racing Naked Bike. It is made for modern naked bikes, and is supported with bars which are fitted to handlebars. All very solid.
It's grey/smoke color, which, IMO, is a perfect choice between 3 available color options - clear, grey/smoke and black. The black one is fully black, not transparent at all.
Dimensions are 38.5 cm (H) x 36.5 cm (W). Obviously, it's not for protecting an entire body with helmet, but it's designed to protect the body up to the helmet while not spoiling the looks. And yes, it does look very good indeed.
Windscreen is made of unscratchable, unbreakable, chemicals resistant material. In short - top of the class quality.
For some photos of many other big bikes with MRA RNB windscreen and video of assembling the windscreen see this: MRA Racing Screen | Windshield for Naked Bikes | Motorcycles | Motorbikes
You can get the windscreen from JV Promoto in Mumbai.
In beginning of August 2013 the cost was Rs 8,000, including shipping.
Contact details:
Mr. Vikas Malhotra
JV PROMOTO
Mob: 09619866133
Email: [email protected]
Website: Jvpromoto::.
Big thanks to [MENTION=32641]shv18[/MENTION] for all the info about the MRA windscreen and JV Promoto contact details.
The windscreen came packed up very solidly in a big box, with lots of cardboard inside. Safe shipping. It took 2 days after the payment to get it to my address.
After opening there were quite a few screws, holders and clamps in a small bag, but within 5 min you get hold of what is what. A diagram is provided but you'll need 3 different allen keys. Two of them are available in Duke's toolbox, but one (medium size) isn't, so get it from a shop.
Putting it all together for the first time takes few tries until you figure out which way to turn every clamp and fitting, but then it's pretty straightforward and takes some 20 min.
But, once all the parts are put together it takes only few minutes to put up the windscreen or take it off the bike.
However, you need to take out Duke's stock "windscreen", which is easily done by unscrewing 4 allen screws.
The only little hiccup while fitting the screen was that the main 2 clamps that go around the handle bars are slightly too tight. In fact, they are probably perfect size, but Duke's handlebar gets bent quite closely to the middle where the clamps need to be put, which disforms the handlebar slightly, so that's probably the reason the handlebar seems just slightly too wide. Little bit of tightening and adjusting, and it can be sorted out, it's not a problem.
Since the screen is fixed with 2 bars, its angle can be adjusted to move the screen closer to the clamps or further away.
Also, the angle of fittings on the screen itself can be adjusted, so it's all pretty solid.
Once fitted, the screen fits very nicely. It can move just slightly, which is perfect because it absorbs any slight movement and vibration.
That being said - you don't get any movement or vibration onto the handlebar, even at 140 kmh. I'm pretty sure this doesn't change even at higher speeds. MRA mentions they have designed the windscreen to withstand very high speeds of more than 200 kmh without any problems.
I just want to mention that you can adjust the angle of the windscreen. You can't really lower it more than it is in photos because the speedo gets in the way at the bottom (unless you're OK that bottom of screen is slightly raised, which actually isn't a big deal), but you can set it up higher, more vertical. In that case at higher speeds it would block more wind and raise the cut out higher. However, it would also create more air resistance, so would probably slightly slow the bike down.
After riding for some time with the windscreen, you notice it's quite a different experience from stock Duke. There's no wind blast on the body. At all. Even if you're going 100 kmh it feels as if you're going easy and slower than without windscreen. Feels more like riding a sports or touring bike like CBR250. The bike felt more planted and safer, and the feel was of a sports bike.
Actually, photos don't do it a justice - the bike with the screen looks really good! My CBR250 friend said he likes it much more than a stock Duke. It looks little closer to a sports bike. Just add a fairing and you'll have a super duper looking sports bike! Duke's rear already looks like a good looking sports bike, and the bike performs like one.
At around 80 kmh the whole body is protected, but you get a wind blast starting from top of the shoulders, just below the throat. At 100 kmh the wind blast starts from the middle of throat. So, the whole body is protected. But at 120 kmh you the wind blast starts at the bottom of the helmet. Which is perfect because helmet itself cuts the air nicely.
A highway ride at 130-140 kmh is now a much more pleasurable experience. It feels you're going some 20 kmh slower, and you are able to better pay attention to the road ahead.
Riding in a higher speed with Duke feels little scary because of bike's light weight (perfectly stable, just quite light), but with a windscreen the bike feels more planted and safer because of the way it cuts through the air.
The screen surely helps with higher top speed. With Duke 200 you can expect at least 5 kmh higher top speed than without it. I wouldn't be surprised even a bit if Duke 390's top speed gets upped by some 10 kmh with this windscreen.
One thing is sure - riding at 120-140 kmh feels like an easy thing you could do all day.
If you're doing a lot of touring or having regular longer higher speed rides on highway - MRA RNB windscreen will make those rides much easier.
It's expensive, but well worth it for those who need it. I'm very happy with it. And it looks really cool, btw, attracts a lot of attention.
And if you'll be away from a highway for some time then it's just a 5 min work to take the screen off and put the stock one back, or the other way around...
Sure you can still ride for 5 or even 10 hours at 120 kmh, but it's how you will feel after those 5-10 hours...
Change the bike to a fully faired one with good size windscreen, you say?
Well, what if I want to keep my naked bike AND do a lot of touring?
A very good answer to that is a MRA RNB windscreen.
MRA is a German company, the world's leading manufacturer of quality windscreens.
"RNB" stands for Racing Naked Bike. It is made for modern naked bikes, and is supported with bars which are fitted to handlebars. All very solid.
It's grey/smoke color, which, IMO, is a perfect choice between 3 available color options - clear, grey/smoke and black. The black one is fully black, not transparent at all.
Dimensions are 38.5 cm (H) x 36.5 cm (W). Obviously, it's not for protecting an entire body with helmet, but it's designed to protect the body up to the helmet while not spoiling the looks. And yes, it does look very good indeed.
Windscreen is made of unscratchable, unbreakable, chemicals resistant material. In short - top of the class quality.
For some photos of many other big bikes with MRA RNB windscreen and video of assembling the windscreen see this: MRA Racing Screen | Windshield for Naked Bikes | Motorcycles | Motorbikes
You can get the windscreen from JV Promoto in Mumbai.
In beginning of August 2013 the cost was Rs 8,000, including shipping.
Contact details:
Mr. Vikas Malhotra
JV PROMOTO
Mob: 09619866133
Email: [email protected]
Website: Jvpromoto::.
Big thanks to [MENTION=32641]shv18[/MENTION] for all the info about the MRA windscreen and JV Promoto contact details.
The windscreen came packed up very solidly in a big box, with lots of cardboard inside. Safe shipping. It took 2 days after the payment to get it to my address.
After opening there were quite a few screws, holders and clamps in a small bag, but within 5 min you get hold of what is what. A diagram is provided but you'll need 3 different allen keys. Two of them are available in Duke's toolbox, but one (medium size) isn't, so get it from a shop.
Putting it all together for the first time takes few tries until you figure out which way to turn every clamp and fitting, but then it's pretty straightforward and takes some 20 min.
But, once all the parts are put together it takes only few minutes to put up the windscreen or take it off the bike.
However, you need to take out Duke's stock "windscreen", which is easily done by unscrewing 4 allen screws.
The only little hiccup while fitting the screen was that the main 2 clamps that go around the handle bars are slightly too tight. In fact, they are probably perfect size, but Duke's handlebar gets bent quite closely to the middle where the clamps need to be put, which disforms the handlebar slightly, so that's probably the reason the handlebar seems just slightly too wide. Little bit of tightening and adjusting, and it can be sorted out, it's not a problem.
Since the screen is fixed with 2 bars, its angle can be adjusted to move the screen closer to the clamps or further away.
Also, the angle of fittings on the screen itself can be adjusted, so it's all pretty solid.
Once fitted, the screen fits very nicely. It can move just slightly, which is perfect because it absorbs any slight movement and vibration.
That being said - you don't get any movement or vibration onto the handlebar, even at 140 kmh. I'm pretty sure this doesn't change even at higher speeds. MRA mentions they have designed the windscreen to withstand very high speeds of more than 200 kmh without any problems.
I just want to mention that you can adjust the angle of the windscreen. You can't really lower it more than it is in photos because the speedo gets in the way at the bottom (unless you're OK that bottom of screen is slightly raised, which actually isn't a big deal), but you can set it up higher, more vertical. In that case at higher speeds it would block more wind and raise the cut out higher. However, it would also create more air resistance, so would probably slightly slow the bike down.
After riding for some time with the windscreen, you notice it's quite a different experience from stock Duke. There's no wind blast on the body. At all. Even if you're going 100 kmh it feels as if you're going easy and slower than without windscreen. Feels more like riding a sports or touring bike like CBR250. The bike felt more planted and safer, and the feel was of a sports bike.
Actually, photos don't do it a justice - the bike with the screen looks really good! My CBR250 friend said he likes it much more than a stock Duke. It looks little closer to a sports bike. Just add a fairing and you'll have a super duper looking sports bike! Duke's rear already looks like a good looking sports bike, and the bike performs like one.
At around 80 kmh the whole body is protected, but you get a wind blast starting from top of the shoulders, just below the throat. At 100 kmh the wind blast starts from the middle of throat. So, the whole body is protected. But at 120 kmh you the wind blast starts at the bottom of the helmet. Which is perfect because helmet itself cuts the air nicely.
A highway ride at 130-140 kmh is now a much more pleasurable experience. It feels you're going some 20 kmh slower, and you are able to better pay attention to the road ahead.
Riding in a higher speed with Duke feels little scary because of bike's light weight (perfectly stable, just quite light), but with a windscreen the bike feels more planted and safer because of the way it cuts through the air.
The screen surely helps with higher top speed. With Duke 200 you can expect at least 5 kmh higher top speed than without it. I wouldn't be surprised even a bit if Duke 390's top speed gets upped by some 10 kmh with this windscreen.
One thing is sure - riding at 120-140 kmh feels like an easy thing you could do all day.
If you're doing a lot of touring or having regular longer higher speed rides on highway - MRA RNB windscreen will make those rides much easier.
It's expensive, but well worth it for those who need it. I'm very happy with it. And it looks really cool, btw, attracts a lot of attention.
And if you'll be away from a highway for some time then it's just a 5 min work to take the screen off and put the stock one back, or the other way around...
. 
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